If you are considering purchasing grippers, you should know that there are two main types: electric and pneumatic. 

Currently, 95% of grippers in the market are pneumatically powered. Why? Because they are easy to apply.
Consider that the majority of manufacturing facilities have access to compressed air and for them leveraging pneumatic grippers is an easy and cost-effective solution.
Electric grippers can almost be considered a new product compared to pneumatic grippers and their market is growing considerably fast.
Both electric and pneumatic grippers are widely used for multiple automation operations. Let’s take a look at how they work, what their main differences are, and what their most common applications are. 

How Do Pneumatic Grippers & Electric Grippers Work?

Pneumatic grippers, also known as air grippers, are electromechanical devices that grasp, hold, and release objects with their fingers or “jaws” while an action is being executed. They use pressure from a compressed air system to supply the power required to open and close the gripper’s jaws. Their 2-finger and 3-finger configurations are the most commonly used.
Electric grippers perform the same actions but control their tooling fingers by using an electric motor instead of air. They too are most commonly found in 2-finger and 3-finger configurations.
Yes, both types of grippers perform the same function but you need to learn about their features and what differentiates them if you’re trying to learn how to choose the right gripper for your application. Let’s take a deeper look.

The Main Differences Between Pneumatic & Electric Grippers

Pneumatically powered grippers have been the standard for industrial applications for years. They are smaller, faster, and their initial cost is significantly lower than electric grippers. However, there are significant hidden costs as they require air lines, filters, valves, fitting, and compressors to connect to a control system and work properly. 

 

 

They are also noisier than electric grippers and provide limited feedback to control systems. Because of their lack of adjustability, each gripper is set up for a specific task. Also, pneumatic grippers can compromise air quality. 
Electric-powered grippers are more environmentally friendly and quieter than air grippers and minimize contamination in sensitive environments. Since they don’t need air lines and they connect directly to a control system, they are typically easy to install and they save on maintenance, power, and operating costs. 
For example, DESTACO's Robohand zero-maintenance electric grippers are highly reliable and deliver faster installation and lower maintenance costs than traditional air grippers.

 

Electric grippers’ defining feature is their precise control over gripping speed, position, and force. However, even though they are getting more and more powerful, they still provide less gripping force than their pneumatic counterparts
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Common Applications of Pneumatic vs Electric Grippers

All grippers are used for a wide variety of applications.
Pneumatic grippers are commonly used for general pick-and-place applications. Their most common applications include:

1. Robotics
   2. Manufacturing of medical devices
   3. Biotech industry
   4. Processing in the lab
   5. Injection molding and plastic molding
   6. Automated systems
   7. Lab automation

Electric grippers are suitable for operations requiring high speed, light or moderate gripping force, and a clean environment.
Their most common applications are:
1. Machine tending
2. Assembly
3. Mobile robots
4. Cleanrooms and pharmaceutical industry
5. Automated systems
6. Lab automation

Conclusion

As we mentioned, pneumatic and electric grippers perform the same functions. They are an important part of automation systems and choosing a good fit can lead to optimized performance, less downtime, and higher operator safety.
Before choosing which one to purchase, think about the type of applications you need them for and keep in mind their differences. Feel free to contact us with any questions; we’d be more than happy to help you choose the best solution for your needs.